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Democrat says AG DeWine violated his own sexual harassment policy

By: Alan Johnson

The Columbus Dispatch - August 11, 2014 01:30 PM

Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern continued his barrage against Republican Attorney General
Mike DeWine today, accusing him of violating his own office sexual harassment policy by seeking out
and interviewing a confidential informant in a case.

By doing so, DeWine was potentially "covering up what was perhaps a crime," Redfern said.
"DeWine went to great lengths to project his close personal friend."

In press conferences today and last Thursday, Redfern accused DeWine of interfering in and
eventually killing an investigation of a complaint by a former female intern in his
office. The woman, who has since graduated from law school, at first said an older staff
member, who was close to DeWine, touched her in a sexual way. She later recanted some of her
story, saying the contact involved sitting too close, putting his hand on her knee, and making
inappropriate comments. The alleged harasser was never identified and the case was dismissed last
year.

DeWine insisted that the Equal Employment Opportunity officer on the case give him the name of a
confidential informant who reportedly had information on the harasser. Despite the hearing
officer's concerns, she gave DeWine the name. DeWine's staff said he subsequently talked to the
informant but did nothing else.

The office sexual harassment policy says the investigation should be handled by the EEO officer,
not DeWine, as head of the agency. It also forbids parties from being "subject to restraint,
interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal." Redfern said by demanding the name of the
confidential informant, then talking to that person, DeWine violated confidentiality and had a
chilling effect on future informants.

DeWine spokesman Lisa Hackley said DeWine did not interfere in the investigation and had a right
to find out about potential sexual harassment in his administration. She said the policy does not
guarantee confidentiality.